Former leading New Zealand publisher and bookseller, and widely experienced judge of both the Commonwealth Writers Prize and the Montana New Zealand Book Awards, talks about what he is currently reading, what impresses him and what doesn't, along with chat about the international English language book scene, and links to sites of interest to booklovers.

Friday, June 26, 2015

Arthur Ransome's Titty will keep her name in print

Forthcoming film version of Swallows and Amazons will rename the character Tatty to avoid innuendo, but publisher insists she’ll stay Titty in books

Titty stays in ... detail from the Vintage cover art for their edition of Swallows and Amazons. Photograph: Vintage

Titty might be turning into Tatty in the BBC’s forthcoming adaptation of Swallows and Amazons, but the publisher of Arthur Ransome’s classic children’s story has vowed that despite the apparent sensitivity of modern ears, it will never interfere with his original text.The BBC is in the process of filming the latest adaptation of Ransome’s story, which follows the adventures of the Walker children – John, Susan, Titty and Roger – as they camp on an island in the middle of a lake one summer. The Radio Times revealed on Wednesday that the part of Titty, the second-youngest Walker sibling who fills the role of able seaman on board the Swallow, would be played by Teddie-Rose Malleson-Allen, the half-sister of Lily Allen. It also surprised fans with the news that the character would be called Tatty.This is not the first time the character’s name has been modified to avoid smirks: in a 1963 film adaptation, she became Kitty. And book publishers have made similar adjustments to children’s books in recent years: Fanny in Enid Blyton’s The Faraway Tree is now Frannie, and cousin Dick is now cousin Rick, while Nobby in Five Go Off in a Caravan is now Ned.More